Coffee table book for Singapore 2006 delegates

More than 16,000 participants, including delegates from 184 countries such as heads of government, finance ministers and central bank governors, top financiers, international media, business leaders and other visitors are expected to be in Singapore in September for the the Annual Meetings of the Boards of Governors of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group. They will also be attending more than 200 meetings, seminars and forums. This conglomeration of events is known as Singapore 2006.

At Singapore 2006, the Ministry of Information, Communications and the Arts (MICA) plans to soft-sell Singapore through presenting a coffee table pictorial to delegates that will make them connect spontaneously and emotionally with Singapore.

You can be a part of this coffee table book. MICA is accepting photo contributions from Singaporeans. Photos should depict any of the following:

I) Celebrations and joyous occasions – e.g. weddings, birthday celebrations, convocations, passing out parades, National Day celebrations, Year-end countdowns, scoring a goal during a game.

II) Working (and enjoying it) – e.g. salesgirls, hawkers, computer technicians, buskers, waiters, car washers, fish rearing, florists, ice-cream sellers, tailors, money changers, businessmen, professionals in various industries (embedded within this category will be an attempt to highlight some achievements of Singapore in a style that is not ‘in your face’), doctors, chefs, stock-trading.

III) Relaxing – e.g. lazing by the beach, in blissful contemplation by a lake, tai chi in a park, yoga indoors, enjoying a theatrical performance, leisurely swim, nature walk, chatting, fishing, browsing in a library, sipping wine in a restaurant, listening to bird singing, kite flying. [We can even have a picture of the President at the Istana outdoors in a relaxed mood.]

IV) Worshipping – devotees in action during religious ceremonies at their places of worship.

V) Eating (our national past time will get a category by itself) – e.g. fine-dining in restaurants, eating in hawker centres, food courts, coffee shops, side-walks, barbecues by the beach, etc.

VI) Studying – e.g. activities of students from kindergartens to institutes of higher learning. The photos will focus on students in classrooms, laboratories, libraries and their interaction with foreign counterparts. Interesting educational programmes like BackPackNET where students experiment with tablet PCs and digital ink technology will also be featured.

VII) Cultural and artistic participation – e.g. arts festivals, Chin-gay performances, theatrical performances, artwork of various cultural groups, contemporary art, dances etc.

VIII) Sports and games participation – e.g various sporting activities such as football, rugby, tennis, yachting, athletics, boxing, golf, top spinning, cyber games, arcade games etc.

IX) Enjoying – pub crawling, disco dancing, shopping, reverse bungee jump

You can also contribute photos featuring sunrise, sunset, tranquility, etc and Singapore’s leading scenic spots (e.g. Sentosa, Mt Faber), shopping centres (e.g. Paragon), cultural icons and heritage buildings (e.g. Esplanade, Old Parliament House, City Hall), famous landmarks (e.g. Changi Airport tower), places of worship (e.g. churches, temples and mosques), quaint districts (e.g. Katong) etc.

There is no limit to the number of photos but the person must include his name and telephone number so that MICA can contact him/her for acknowledgement if necessary. Please include a simple caption to describe each photograph. Send a CD of your photos in high resolution format to Siang Luen Foo at National Marketing Department, 5th floor, MICA Building, 140 Hill Street, S'pore 179369. Deadline is March 15 2006.

(Thanks Sian Luen Foo)